Grooming disaster

Miss Jenny - I agree about the mats. I have a tendency to feel my dogs all over, so I notice the mats and have to really work to get them out, and at times have had to resort to the scissors as well. I am learning how to groom, but it is sometimes a constant battle with the mats behind the ears.

So I can see it from both sides - owners and groomers.
 
missjenneygirl said:
I totally understand where you are coming from. Now, I am going to give you another view.

There have been times when I get back a sheltie for a visit, and grooming, and the dog looks beautiful on top. Underneath, the dog is packed with mats. Before any of you scream, "That's not me, with my dog", sometimes people don't realize the amount of matting that can get inside the back legs and under the belly. Heck, there can be huge mat balls behind the ears, and owners pet their dogs on the head all the time.They can't feel them? How often are the owners underneath the back end? I have been totally shocked at what I find. The owners are very sincere in their love and care of the dog, but just don't realize they have to brush and comb out periodically.
Of course, I have instructed this, over and over.

I had a dog recently that the wads of mats between his back legs and behind his ears were huge. I just took the scissors and wacked them off. I'm sure his bum looked naked to his owners, but that was my only option.

So, I now somewhat understand the groomers dilemma
Click to expand...

I agree, but to give you a bit of a background, I had a blue persian cat for 11 years, and boy that cat would get mats in no time. When we didn't shave him, I used to be the one that would clear the mats with a pin brush and a pair of scissors. I know how they feel like and I never let anything like that accumulate on Zoey, because for first, unattended mats are terrible for skin care.

I've seen a sheltie at the dog park that had serious coat matting. There was no way Zoey's coat warranted such a purge. As I said, I didn't brush her as much as I should, but in no way her coat was ever neglected.

Although I don't really want to take pictures of her, I will show you how she was before, what I expected to get, and what I got once I get home tonight. Hopefully images are worth thousands of words.
 
My God - that is horrible. My vet once shaved an 11"x11" square on my tri's Sheltie's side for surgery to remove a growth. When I picked him up, I was horrified. It took almost a year to grow back & the hair is thinner there. I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience. What a hack this groomer is - she doesn't even know that "our" breed is supposed to look natural.

I agree that a good book on Sheltie grooming is "The Illustrated Guide to Sheltie Grooming" by Barb Ross. I do all my dog's bathing & grooming. I wouldn't trust anyone else except for a Sheltie breeder or handler.

As far as scissors go, I have thinning shears for ears & ruff, a small curved pair for mainly feet & a straight pair for doing hocks, chin & lip lines.

I learned Sheltie grooming from books, grooming seminars, grooming clinics & from breeders. I suggest you contact a Sheltie club to see if they will be holding any grooming seminars or clinics. Sometimes they hold them at club events, even in cunjunction with Specialties. You can also contact your local Sheltie club to see if there are any breeders near you who would be willing to do a private grooming lesson with you for pay... also ask the club if there are any breeders who do grooming in their home or at another business (Petsmart, Petco, grooming salon, boarding kennel). I know a Sheltie breeder/handler who grooms at a boarding kennel. She is an expert Sheltie groomer. I hope these ideas help.

Michele
 
Alright... pictures.

See album below
http://imgur.com/a/FVAFz

Picture 1 is her on first week of December 2011
Picture 2 is her in July 2011 3 days after she got groomed (that's the work I was expecting)
Picture 3 is her now today....
Picture 4 is her back, that looks just like when she was in her leg period, not happy with this
Picture 5 is the belly massacre, everything gone.

As a reference, below is May 2010 when she actually had her awkward leg phase
http://i.imgur.com/qlaD8.jpg
 
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:no:, geeze you poor thing, so sorry! It will get better, her fur will grow back, I know i know it may take awhile, none-the-less it will.

Hang in there
 
So sorry that Zoey's grooming went so wrong but she is still looks really sweet. She'll just need a bit more cuddling and maybe a little sweater for the cold.
 
Well, I would say that is totally unacceptable, and I would demand any monies paid given back. To be fair, $20 for the wash, and that's it. Down her chest (the bib) is absurd. No one could say that needed to be cut, even if the groomer tried to argue. I would send your pictures to the owner, with your complaint.
Tell them you sent the pictures to a show groomer (that would be me), and that I was aghast at the unprofessional grooming job done on this dog. There in NEVER a reason to cut the bib the way the groomer did. Never mind, it was a horrible effort.
 
Wow. That is absolutely horrible. Poor Zoey is absolutely a lovely girl, but what a terrible, horrible chop job they did on her.

Missjenneygirl is right...it just doesn't make any sense. Why would they cut her chest like that? And why did they shave her stomach?

I agree--I would ask for all of my money back, and then I would write a review about this groomer to warn others.
 
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